Gendron Named Associate Head Coach

Jul 14, 2011

New Face on Bench For Yale Men's Hockey

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's hockey team has hired a new associate head coach with a plethora of college, professional and international experience. Dennis "Red" Gendron, an assistant at the University of Massachusetts (Hockey East) the last six seasons, joins the Bulldogs' staff for 2011-12.

Gendron, a three-time hockey captain and 1979 graduate of New England College (Henniker, N.H.), spent the last 21 years coaching the sport. Eleven of those seasons were with the New Jersey Devils' organization as a scout and assistant coach, including Stanley Cup Championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Part of his duty with the Devils included serving as head coach of the AHL affiliate in Albany for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.

"We are excited to have someone with his experience on our staff. I've known Red for 30 years and think he will be a huge addition to our program," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey.

Gendron worked on another Hockey East staff before making his initial move to ECAC Hockey. He was an assistant coach at Maine during the 1990-93 seasons, including the Black Bears' 1993 NCAA Championship campaign.

He has also been an assistant coach during the 1993, 2001 and 2002 World Junior Championships for Team USA and also worked with several U.S. Select-16 and 17 teams. His resume also includes coaching hockey, baseball and football while teaching history at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt.

Gendron, who is fluent in French, earned a BA in secondary education from New England College and a master's in educational administration from Maine in 1993. He also played baseball at NEC.

Associate head coach Kyle Wallack's departure to head the USHL's Indiana Ice created an opportunity for the Elis to find Gendron, a former Indiana Ice head coach and GM (2004-05).